3 pot shops in 1 building rile neighbors

Three medical-marijuana dispensaries opened in this brick building at 503 N. Anaheim Blvd. in downtown Anaheim, angering some nearby residents. ERIC CARPENTER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Neighbors of the medical-pot shops in this downtown Anaheim building said they are concerned seeing customers picking up marijuana until nearly 11 p.m. each night. ERIC CARPENTER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Anaheim Patients Association was the second medical-marijuana dispensary to open in the building at 503 N. Anaheim Blvd. In the last, one more shop has opened, making it three in one building and riling some neighbors who say it's too much in one location. ERIC CARPENTER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A sign on the door at AAA Wellness Center tells patients that they must have valid I.D. -- even if they are a returning customer. ERIC CARPENTER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A medical-marijuana dispensary on the 1800 block of west Katella Avenue opened earlier this year near a continuation high school, causing concerns among school administrators. Some signage is still on the building, but school officials said it appears the operators have moved out. ERIC CARPENTER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Eight year-old Mia Scott holds a sign along Harbor Blvd. She joined others to protest a medical-marijuana dispensary which opened on Chestnut Street in Anaheim in 2011. It soon shut down after neighbors protested. CHRISTINE COTTER, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A walking marijuana storage advertisement gets help lighting up in the designated smoking area at The Kush Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center. Some critics claim that Anaheim is being hypocritical to want to shut down medical-pot dispensaries while hosting the Kush Expo twice a year. SAM GANGWER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

This time, residents are upset by three shops operating in the same building in downtown Anaheim, just up the street from historic Pearson Park and three blocks from City Hall.

"First off, this kind of place doesn't belong so close to where people live," said Betty Gomez, a mother of two young children. "But three? Three shops right next door to (one another) is too much.

"I walk by here with my kids, even well after dark, and there is a guard standing outside and people parking across the street coming to get their pot. And I smell it. ... It's just not right."

Neighbors have protested on the sidewalk outside once already and said they planned additional protests in front of the shops at 503 N. Anaheim Blvd. The shops, marked by green crosses – and green flood lights at night – are in an old brick building that fronts Anaheim Boulevard and Sycamore Street.

They are open from 9 a.m. until around 10:45 p.m. daily.

Several nearby residents said that AAA Wellness Center was the first to open, more than a year ago in what was then a vacant building, and it operated mostly under their radar.

"Neighbors told us they were happy that we were here, because it cleaned up some of the problems they had seen with homeless people breaking into the building (when it was vacant)," said Stephanie Forner, a bud tender at AAA Wellness.

But about a month ago, Anaheim Patients Association opened next door. Then in early May, a shop called ARWC opened up next to that.

"I understand that neighbors might have concerns about having so many," Forner said. "But I think it's better that it's here, where it's secured and we require valid I.D. and a doctor's recommendation – rather that than out on the street. ... And we're helping a lot of people who need the medication."

An operator of Anaheim Patients declined to be interviewed on record. And a clerk at ARWC said the owner was unavailable for comment.

Customers, some of whom parked at the car-parts store across the street, said neighbors have nothing to fear.

"These are legitimate shops that believe medical cannabis helps people in need and have an incentive to do things the right way," said Juan Dominguez, 38, who said he uses marijuana for chronic headaches and back pain. "This is an organized way for people in need to get their medicine. Better this than meeting some guy on the corner with cash."

Anaheim continues to battle in court over its 2007 ordinance banning all medical-marijuana dispensaries inside its borders. The city has had a moratorium in place in the meantime, but several shops have still managed to open.

Anaheim officials said code-enforcement is aware of where the shops are, and police respond to any reports of problems. But the city has mostly taken a wait-and-see attitude toward the medical-pot shops while the issue is hammered out in court.

Dozens of medical-marijuana shops appear to be operating within Anaheim, most in business districts far from residential neighborhoods.

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